


Who Hurt Her First?

by QueenBookBuff



Series: She belongs to me [2]
Category: That '70s Show
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon Divergence, F/M, Foreshadowing, Friends to Enemies, Friends to Lovers, Softer Hyde with Jackie, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:21:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26489344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenBookBuff/pseuds/QueenBookBuff
Summary: Nothing Bad Every Stays Secret. Whatever was left of Jackie Kelso implodes. Who Loved Her First is key to understanding and following this story.
Relationships: Eric Forman & Steven Hyde, Jackie Burkhart/Michael Kelso, Jackie Burkhart/Steven Hyde, Steven Hyde/Michael Kelso
Series: She belongs to me [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1921537
Comments: 8
Kudos: 31





	Who Hurt Her First?

**Author's Note:**

> This is a universe where Kelso cared a lot more about Hyde and Jackie getting together. There are implications of a deeper childhood relationship for Kelso and Jackie and a deeper friendship between Hyde and Jackie. 
> 
> This is only my second work and it is part of a 5 part series. I am a teacher who does this to relax and it gives me joy, Please don't take that away form me.
> 
> I originally wrote this series in only two parts. They end is planned out perfectly, this section was much harder for me to write

He lays panting on the ground. His face exploding in pain. Somewhere in the back of his mind he thinks “Hyde’s been holding back all these years when we fought. He’s dazed and can’t get himself up off the floor. He feels like he’s been hit by concrete and if this was a cartoon he thinks oddly  _ “I would be watching birds flying around my head.” _

As he comes back to himself, he notices the basement has gone silent like a tomb. The only sound to be heard is the heavy panting of him and Hyde. Eric and Fez are standing between them like prison guards who have just broken up a riot. 

His eyes and Hyde’s are locked. A stare that says a thousand things. For him it says.........

_ I don’t care that I’ve known you my whole life. _

_ I don't care that you have stepped in front of me a million times. _

_ I don’t care that every crazy adventure I’ve ever had, you’ve been by my side. _

_ It means Fuck You. You took my girlfriend. _

For once, he knows what Hyde is thinking. He knows without a doubt that his stare says

_ I’m done watching you hurt her _

_ I’m done watching you throw away the best thing that ever happened to you for sluts. _

_ I"m done being the guy on the sidelines. _

The expression that hurts and enrages him more than anything, it is that undeniable belief that Jackie is his.

All of it is too much, and he will regret what he is about to say for the rest of his life. This one statement will damage him and Hyde more than any punch. It will stop them from them one day when they are older, wiser and calmer to reconcile. 

He can’t know that years from now the gang will attempt to get back together, but this one moment will keep Hyde on one side of the room and him on the other.

Maybe one day they could have gotten past Jackie, after all, though neither of them would ever admit it, they both still have a corner in their hearts, where the promise they all devised years ago lives.

“Friend over Girl”

This. What he is about to do, will never be forgiven.

He is often taken for stupid, he isn't. He’s merely simple, but his friends take simplicity as harmless. He is not harmless, and he isn't stupid. It’s merely a convenient shield to get away with things. So he aims his arrow with calculated and careful precision.

“Is anyone surprised he stole Jackie? He laughs bitterly.

He watches the flames come back to life in Hyde's eyes, and then he dumps the gasoline on whatever was left of the friendship. 

“He’s white trash. Always was, always will be. Edna was the town whore. Why would he be any different?”

He glimpses hurt and shock, flash into his oldest friend’s eyes It is hard to break Hyde’s Zen, near impossible, but he’s done it, and he feels satisfaction. He wants him to hurt as bad as he does. He’s not shocked when Hyde shuts down the emotion quickly. Hyde springs at him, but for once in his life Eric Forman is ready, and he blocks Hyde and yells

“Enough!”

He tries to push Hyde back, but Eric is Zero match for a pissed off Hyde. There is only person who has even a decent shot at fighting Hyde and that’s him, and he currently wants to die of the pain throbbing in his face.

What Eric lacks in strength he is making up in words and volume. He is yelling and is sounding incredibly like Red.

“You two have been friends your whole life. Stop this!”

Hyde is unmoved and either is he. He tenses as he observes Hyde step forward. Eric steps in front of him again. 

“Move Forman, before you get hurt”, Hyde seethes.

“No! You need to cool down. Go. Go to your room with Jackie.”

Almost like she was summoned, they all notice Jackie standing behind the couch. He can’t help himself. His mood softens. God, even half asleep and confusion walking across her face, she is stunning. 

Eric barks “She is the devil. You speak her name and she appears.”

Hyde spits out “Watch it Forman.” as he lightly pushes him from behind. 

For a split-second his heart is transported to an easier moment when he would have yelled “Burn” at Eric’s comment and the last part of him that doesn’t want all this to explode wonders if they will ever sit together again in a circle and laugh. 

All his thoughts are scattered as Jackie becomes one of the actors on the stage

“What’s going on?” 

Her eyes are scanning the room trying to understand. Her gaze falls on him and no matter what has gone down between them, they have too much history for her not to be concerned. Her eyes notice the forming bruise and the blood spilling down his face and the girl who has been taking care of him since grade school comes to life. She takes a butterfly step. It’s almost invisible, but both Hyde, and he see it, and it is towards him. Hyde goes white, and he wants to crow

“Always my girl… my ass!”

And then Eric ruins it all by answering her question.

“They're fighting over you! You! I told you. Donna told you. But Nooooo Jackie must have her way and now here we are…... you are breaking up the band.

Jackie mutely glances at Donna for support and finds none in that corner. 

“We told you Jackie. We told you that he would be upset.” 

Donna’s words are like oxygen to Eric’s inflamed mission, he’s got the support he needs to keep going.

He turns and looks directly at Jackie and yells

“This is stupid! None of us even like Jackie. No one wanted her here. We all made fun of her. How did this get so far? She shouldn’t matter.” 

Even Donna gasps. “Eric. No more.” 

Eric is past the point of no return, but he gives it a go himself to stop him because he doesn’t want his sins trolled out in front of Jackie.

“You are out of line Eric.” he calls from his position of physical defeat.

Eric spins to him with eyes fearful that the world that is his sanctuary is falling apart.

“And You! How many times did you complain about her Kelso? How many times did you say you were breaking up with her? God! Cheating was like a sport for you! You're willing to throw your friend away from her. FOR HER!”

Hyde’s face is almost gleeful as Jackie’s face crumples at Eric’s words about their relationship. Her face has gone deadly white, she is almost swaying. Her hurt eyes never leaving him.

Hyde doesn’t escape Eric’s tirade. 

“Hyde, you hated her. You called her prissy and a pain in the ass.’ 

He hopes desperately that Jackie’s horrified eyes will leave him and go to Hyde's, but they don’t. He briefly has one of those moments of complete clarity. Hyde never lied to Jackie. Whatever he wanted to say, he has always said to her face. There is no betrayal and he hates Hyde even more. He blocks every shortcoming that he has and his part in this. He has no time for responsibility. That will come one day with him at the bottom of a bottle. For now he chants in his head

“Hyde’s fault”

His eyes are trained on Jackie, and he realizes he hasn’t even begun to realize how far Jackie is from him. He was sure that the worst thing he had ever suffered was finding out about Jackie and Hyde, but he was wrong. So stupidly wrong. Watching her eyes on his while Eric throws his tantrum is the worst.

Each word is taking a piece of love for him out of her eyes. He can see it evaporating and the hurt is rolling off her in waves. 

‘SHUT UP ERIC!” Hyde yells 

He pushes Eric forcefully into the couch. Hyde’s no nonsense tone causes him to briefly take his eyes away, but the hurt that is just bouncing off of Jackie causes his eyes to fall squarely back to her gypsy face.. She’s trembling, her huge doe eyes full of unshed tears.

He knows those eyes. Those are the eyes he saw every time she found out about him cheating. Those eyes are begging him to not hurt her and to tell her that Eric’s words aren't true.

The final nail in his coffin comes of course from Hyde. No secrets will be left out today.

“Jesus, Eric! IT’s not Jackie’s fault. How can you defend his cheating? His lying. He is a sneaky, shitty bastard. We didn't cheat. They broke up. He looked straight at me before he jumped in that van and said, “I gotta get out of here. I can’t be chained to Jackie.”

It’s like everyone has forgotten she is in the room and that saying these awful things will have no repercussions. 

A quiet but very important gasp escapes from Jackie.

Both he and Hyde swear in Tandem with a harsh 

“Damn it.”

  
  


Hyde because he knows Jackie is hurt and Kelso because as sure as he is sitting on the basement ground he knows that any shred of softness she had left for him is dying quickly.

That basement has gone silent. All eyes are trained on Jackie, but her eyes have not wavered from his. If he was anywhere but Forman's basement, he would cry. He has never watched anyone die, but he's viewing it right now. His, Jackie, is dying right before his very eyes.

Their whole history is sweeping over her face as she mourns it.

_ The day they met at the playground when they were young. _

_ The day he gave her the rainbow necklace for her birthday _

_ Their first kiss _

_ First Dance _

_ First Fight _

_ Their first everything is seeping out of her. _

All the color that was their relationship is falling to black and white.

He wishes desperately for the first the time that Hyde had hit him in the eye, so he couldn't watch this. 

Jackie scans the room and her eyes rest on Hyde. He sees him read her, and she responds only with her gaze. He sees things only Hyde can read. He wonders again if there is more to them than just this summer. How can Hyde read her so well already?

She turns abruptly and walks into Hyde’s room.

“You’re dead Forman” Hyde says

.

Eric has gone white. He knows he went too far. Everyone is staring at each other in mute horror. 

Eric forever the idiot tries to walk it all back, something he won’t ever be able to do. This will be a moment he thinks of often as he watches people he loves suffer and he will know that he had a part in it. 

He starts to stammer out “I’m…”

He is interrupted by a determined and very pissed off Jackie. She marches out of Hyde’s room, straight at him. He’s fairly sure he’s about to get hit again.

He tries to head her off at the pass

“Jackie……” He tries to get out. 

He is thrown off when she drops to her knees and drops something in his hand and leans close to his ear.

She whispers “I’ll never forgive you.”

She pops up and advances on Eric and kicks him as fiercely as she is known for and yells ‘

“You are such a bastard.”

She turns to Hyde and says, “Take me home please.”

He can see they are back to talking with their eyes. They are back to being their own island. Jackie and Hyde. Hyde cups her face and kisses her softly, and he sees the dam break. Tears start to roll down her face, and he watches Hyde scoop her up and takes her out of the place causing her pain. He catches Hyde’s eye, a smirk comes across Hyde’s face. He knows what that damn smirk means.

It says “You hurt her. I save her.” and with that he bolts up off the floor and out the door.

By the time he gets home it is dark . The sun has lost its battle with the moon and is resting for the next day. He blows past his mom who doesn’t even blink at his face. She has seven boys. If she freaked every time one of them was hurt, she would be in a state of constant insanity. He falls onto his bed, instinctively turning the light on his nightstand like he has done his whole life. He rolls to his side and comes face to face with heart ache.

It’s him and Jackie. His favorite picture of them. It’s her 8th birthday, and they both have cake on their faces, both smiling sweet smiles of innocence. Jackie is wearing a necklace. It’s a plain silver chain with a rainbow pendant. He gave it to her that day. She is almost never without it. 

Horror comes over him as he finally looks at the fist that has been clinched since she dropped something in it. It’s her rainbow necklace. Her dropping it into his hand is worse than the “I’ll never forgive you,” He knows what it means. It means she doesn’t want any memories of their yesterdays. He knows he’s fucked up. He knows he started this avalanche, but it doesn’t stop the hurricane of pain he feels at no longer having Jackie.

He closes his eyes and remembers once his mom said Jackie was like a flashlight. That she gives off enough light to be guided by. His mom always loved Jackie.

He closes his eyes. And the tears start to fall. He’s lost. The flashlight has snapped off, and he is in the dark. He lets the darkness seep into him, and he begins to plan Hyde” s downfall.

  
  



End file.
